Minnesota - Company Gives Employees With New Pets “Fur-ternity” Leave

||| Heikie Koing | Dreamstime.com |||

Since more are starting to acknowledge that being a pet owner is a lot like parenting, and bringing home a new pet is similar in many ways to taking care of a baby, a company in Minneapolis is responding by offering an appealing and certainly much welcome perk to its employees. The company is allowing staff and workers who are bringing home a new pet to work from home for a week- sort of a “fur-ternity” leave.

Digital marketing firm Nina Hale believes such a move is a recognition that having a new pet in the family can be a little stressful and also something that needs hands-on attention by “fur-ents” for such adjustments as house-training a puppy, for example.

The company’s Executive Vice President admits the idea only came about after an employee requested for some flexibility when adopting a new pet. Officials thought such was not a bad pitch, after all, especially since many American families can relate to being loving pet owners.

While the work from home privilege may be applicable to those bringing home puppies or cats and other possible pets, the policy also comes with its own limitations. It doesn’t apply to pets that require a cage or a tank, such as a fish.

The company has yet to indicate the other details of the new policy like how many times an employee may avail of such a leave, for example, per year, and other possible conditions and limitations.

One thing is sure, though, it is a welcome option for pet lovers and owners within the company, or those planning to start becoming loving parents to furry ones.

Of course, the idea of “fur-ternity” leave is being welcome by working Americans who also happen to be pet lovers.